Random thoughts as Aaron Boone subs out the starters

So I am sitting here watching the first spring training game between the Tigers and Yankees and it’s nice to have baseball back. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I heard the opening notes of the YES Network intro music.

Here are my thoughts as the bottom of the fifth gets underway:

Giancarlo Stanton is really big.

So far I like what I’m seeing from Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar.

Torres just missed making a spectacular play right off the bat (pun intended) in the first but still kept the ball from going into the outfield.

Greg Bird made it through his appearance unscathed as far as we know.

I forgot Austin Romine changed his number to #28 and was momentarily confused.

He got the first hit of the game because of course he did.

Kenny Singleton relayed a story during the broadcast and revealed that Stanton dented the F in the Steinbrenner Field sign that adorns the top of the scoreboard in left centerfield.

Do you know how hard and how far you have to hit a ball to do that?

Stanton is a superhero.

No Aaron Judge today.

They’re resting his surgically repaired shoulder.

No Gary Sanchez either.

By the way, the Yankees don’t have a hit in scoring position and they’re down 1-0.

Tyler Austin is up.

He just hit a ball hard to right-center but it was caught. The person I’ve never heard of who was on second tagged and made it to third.

Estevem Florial is playing now. He pinch ran for Hicks in the fourth.

All eyes on him.

People go on and on about Torres but Florial is really good too.

He was born in November 1997.

I was 23 in November 1997.

The only player left in baseball who is older than me is Bartolo Colon.

Thank God for Big Sexy. I hope he makes the Rangers’ roster.

Remember when he was a Yankee?

That was a long time ago.

Florial’s bat just flew into the crowd. Luckily, some dude caught it.

That could have been bad.

I think I hear Boone yelling encouraging things to his players. I think he called Florial “Flo.”

And he yelled something at Bird a few innings ago.

I’m probably the only person who notices these things.

Michael Kay isn’t annoying me yet but it’s early.

Taylor Wade stretched a single into a double.

The Yankees are 0-8 with RISP.

They’re in midseason form!

Brandon Drury’s favorite football player is Russell Wilson.

Guess whose locker will be next to his?

Yep.

How about that?

Aw, Mel Allen.

A beardless Danny Espinosa is up right now. Just took an ugly swing. Woof.

These aren’t really random thoughts. I’m doing play by play.

The weather looks so nice down in Tampa.

In the 80s, sunny, breezy… I want to go to there.

That’s a 30 Rock reference.

I miss that show.

Espinosa just got nailed with a pitch. That’s a way to get on base!

Hey, Jake Cave is up!

I like spring training because I get to watch the kids play.

Cave just tied the score with an RBI groundout.

It’s only the 6th inning. It’s 3:10 pm.

Pace of play!

Jorge Saez just hit a two-run single to center!

Yanks up 3-1!

Back to the pace of play issue.

You know what would help the pace of play problem in baseball? The 3-0 auto strike.

Umps really need to stop doing that.

Someone relay that message to Rob Manfred for me. Thanks.

Jack Curry is in the booth right now.

I still can’t believe that Aaron Boone is the manager.

I’ll probably keep saying that until at least July.

Cashman is behind the plate watching the game.

He’s sitting in his usual seat which is not on the aisle. It’s the second seat in from the aisle.

He’s a manspreader.

I’d hate to be sitting next to him on a bus or a train.

Ball just took a tough hop on Tyler Wade. Gets an error. He’s playing SS.

Brett Gardner is the longest tenured Yankee.

He made his MLB debut on June 30, 2008.

That’s crazy.

I was at the game when he hit a walk-off single against Jonathan Papelbon like a week later.

It was a Sunday Night ESPN game and it was fantastic.

Anytime the Yankees walked off against Papelbon, it was a fun time.

It’s time to stretch!

Uh, it’s Kate Smith again.

Can we get a new version of God Bless America?

Or how about we do away with it altogether?

The National Anthem is enough.

God Bless America should be saved for special days like Opening Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and the playoffs.

It’s overkill at this point.

There’s no need for it every game.

I’ll stop complaining about that now because I know people will get mad.

How about we end this on a positive note?

It’s Giancarlo Stanton and Meredith Marakovits!

That was too quick of an interview. Booooooooooooooooooo.

Tyler Austin just hit the ball to the wrong part of the park.

But he made nice contact.

Hey, Tyler Wade is 2-2!

And he went the other way through the 3B-SS hole.

Nice.

I like how the uniform numbers get higher and higher as the innings go on.

Right now, number 91 is pitching for the Yankees.

It’s Cale Coshow.

That’s a real name.

He’s having control issues.

No, command issues.

But he still got out of the inning with no damage.

Good for you Cale.

Now that spring training games have begun, we can start writing about how players look at the plate and on the mound. Oh, and on the field. Sure, they’ll be rusty but it’s something.

I really missed baseball and I’m so glad it’s back.

The next televised game isn’t until the 26th.

What a tease.

Or is it the next one on YES.

Maybe we’ll be able to watch them on MLB Network?

I’ll double check that.

No, I was wrong. The next televised game is Sunday’s against the Phillies which will be on MLB Network. Phew.

The next game on YES is on the 28th.

Tomorrow’s and Sunday’s game will be broadcast on WFAN so you can listen to John and Suzyn, if you want.

Boone doesn’t like wearing his hat down on his forehead.

Kay, Singleton and Jack Curry are talking about how Boone will be like Joe Torre.

Um, that’s not necessarily a good thing, guys.

Aw, Bob Boone cried when he found out Aaron got the Yankees gig. That’s adorable.

I love stories like that.

There’s a guy sitting behind the plate who is wearing a yellow tank top that I’m pretty sure can be seen from space.

It’s really bright.

There is so much pressure on the Yankees this year.

Making it to the seventh game of ALCS last year was both good and bad for them.

Anything less than a World Series this year is a failure.

This is YES’s 17h year? I remember the first year fondly. I had it because I was living in Staten Island and had Time Warner Cable. My parents and brother didn’t because they had Cablevision.